The need to maintain good oral health in humans has been recognised for a very long time. However, it is only recently that significant advances in maintaining the oral health of animals have been made. In particular, there has been a rapid increase in the number of academic publications in the field of veterinary dentistry in the last 20 years; the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry and the American Veterinary Dental College were established in 1987 (Easley, J Hist Dent: Vol. 47, No. 2. Jul. 1999 pp 83-85).
Veterinary oral health products and treatments are a rapidly growing multi-million pound industry, in particular in the pet, or “companion animal”, sector. US retail sales in this sector are estimated to be greater than US$400 m per year.
Animals are susceptible to the majority, if not all, of the adverse oral health conditions that affect humans, including the formation of plaque and tartar (calculus), gingivitis, periodontitis, unsightly dental staining and halitosis. Methods and products are required to prevent and treat all of these conditions. It is particularly important to maintain oral health in animals because the range of corrective measures that are available to humans, such as dentures and complex dental surgery, are not readily available for animals.
Delmopinol is a morpholino compound that has utility in the removal or inhibition of dental plaque in humans. The compound and its manufacture are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,221.